EEOC and FDA to Roll-Out Guide for Restauranteurs Addressing Overlap of Disabilities Act and Food Code Rules

WASHINGTON – Leslie E. Silverman, Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and Janice F. Oliver, Deputy Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), will hold a joint press teleconference Thursday, October 28, 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. EDT, to discuss the new publication "How to Comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Restaurants and Other Food Service Employers."  The guide is designed to assist restaurants and other food service employers in complying with aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Food and Drug Administration's model code for food safety that may overlap.

Following brief remarks by EEOC and FDA officials, participating media will have the opportunity to ask questions.  Working press may pre-register by contacting either Jennifer Kaplan or Michael Herndon (see contact information above).  Registrants will be provided with a toll-free dial-in telephone number.  The complete guide will be made available at 9:00 a.m. EDT the same day.

The guide covers such topics as how the FDA's Food Code rules on restricting and excluding sick employees interact with the ADA's requirements; types of reasonable accommodations, including the use of service animals; and what an employer should do if a charge of discrimination is filed.

The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.

Among other federal anti-discrimination employment laws, the EEOC enforces Title I of the ADA, which prohibits employment discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments.